Wire-bender.



J. S. PRATT. WIRE BENDER. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18. 1908.

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Patented Aug. 17, 1909. Z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. S. PRATT.

WIRE BENDER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1a, 1908.

931,480. Patented Aug. 17,1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WIAAAV A mm mm vnmcvumoamv'nzns WASH usrou o c UNITED STAES AENT anionWIRE-BENDER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN Snnowrox PRATT, a First Lieutenant, CoastArtillery Corps, U. S. Army, and citizen of the United States, residingat W'atch Hill, in the county of Washington and State of Rhode Island,have invented new and useful Improvements in Wire-Benders, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The invention relates generally to an improvement in line wireconnectors, and is more particularly directed to an apparatus designedfor use in shaping the line wire about the insulator to permit theapplication thereto of the connector.

The main object of the present invention is the provision of anapparatus designed for speedy and effective removable connection with aninsulator and for operation to engage and bend the line wire at oppositesides of the insulator.

The invention will be described in the following specification,reference being had particularly to the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a view in rear elevation, illustrating the application of myimproved wrench to an insulator. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the samewith the dog housing in section, the lever and connected parts beingshown in operative position in dotted outline. Fig. 3 is a perspectiveof the body block of the Wrench. Fig. 1 is a horizontal section throughthe body block, the wrench being illustrated as in place on theinsulator. Fig. 5 is a central vertical section of the wrench. Fig. 6 isa rear elevation of a line wire connected to an insulator by theimproved connector. Fig. 7 is a top plan of the same. Fig. 8 is a brokenperspective showing one end of the connector.

Referring particularly to the drawings, my improved tool comprises abody block 1, which is approximately rectangular in general outline. Therelatively forward edge of the block is formed with a centrally arrangedrecess 2 to receive the insulator, the

' wall of the recess being partly undercut, as

at 3, to receive and house a clamping spring 4. The terminals of thespring project beyond the ends of the wall of the recess, and

the spring is so arranged that the block may be readily forced intogrippingengagement with an insulator and is readily detached therefrom1n an obvious manner. The un- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 18, 1908.

Patented Aug. 17, 1909.

Serial No. 463,271.

dercut portion 3 of the recess wall permits the housing of that portionof the spring which is permanently secured to the block and the portionsimmediately adjacent thereto, by which construction the block is, whenengaged with the insulator, adapted to bear directly on the insulatorrather than through the spring 4:. By this means a more effectiveresistance to the strain incident to the operation of the wrench isprovided than would be possible if the spring formed a direct insulatorbearing element alone. At the forward side edges the block is formed toprovide semispherical bearing members 5, the plane or straight surfaceof which is in alinement with the side of the block, as shown, each ofthe bearing members 5 being formed with a central threaded opening 6,for a purpose which will presently appear.

The relatively rear edge of the block 1 is centrally cut away throughoutthe height of the block to form a channel 7, the ends of the block ineach direction beyond the channel extending rearwardly beyond thechannel wall, as at 8. The side edges of the block in alinement with theupper surface of the block and at the rear ends of said edges are eachprovided with laterally projecting flanges or lips 9, which lips have amaterially less thickness than the thickness of the block and project atright angles to the side edges of the block with the upper surfaces ofthe lips in alinement with the upper surface of the block. Eachprojecting end 8 is provided with a housing plate 10 of right angularconstruction, the rear wall of the extended end 8 being cut outthroughout its height to snugly receive the shorter arm 11 of the plate10, the longer arm of said plate engaging the end of the adjacent lip 9and extending beyond the forward edge of said lip in alinernent with andspaced from the side edge of the block. As the plates 10 are coextensivein height with the similar dimension of the block it is apparent thateach of said plates operates to inciose or house a space beneath eachlip 9, which space is open at the bottom and at the front, and saidplate projects beyond the forward edge of the lip 9 in spaced parallelrelation to the proximate side of the block.

12 represents an operating lever formed at one end to provide a handle13 and beyond the handle divided to provide spaced arms 14. The lowerends of the arms terminate in disk ends 15 approximately of roundedcontour and formed on their rear edges with a series of teeth 16. Inadvance of the juncture of the arm 14 therewith each disk 15 is providedwith a projecting finger 17, the disk intermediate the finger and arm 14being so formed as to provide a channel 18, the side walls of whichchannel are slightly divergent outwardly, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.That wall of the finger 17 next the arm 14 is, adjacent its outer end,formed with an offset 19, which diverges sharply,with rela tion to thedivergent wall of the arm, the offset forming at the juncture with theoperative edge of the finger a slight shoulder 20, as shown. Thecomparatively large divergence of the operative edge of the offset 19with the arm 14 provides a flaring mouth for the convenient engagementof the device with the wire, while the shoulder 20 tends to preventaccidental displacement of the wire. The arms 14 are so spaced apartthat their proximate surfaces will engage the bearing faces of themembers 5 of the block 1, and pivot pins 21 pivotally unite the leverarms to the block through engagement with the openings in the disks 15of the lever arms and the threaded engagement of the openings 6 in thebearing members 5. In this position it will be noted that the disks liebe tween the side edges of the block and the forwardly projectingportions of the plates 10, and that the relatively rear edges of thedisks 15, particularly that portion in which the teeth 16 are formed,are practically concentric with the pivot 21.

In each of the housings formed by the plates 10 and lips 9 there ismounted a dog 22, normally spring pressed in a forward direction by aleaf spring 23 and having a toothed end 24 adapted to engage any of theteeth 16 of the operating lever. The respective dogs are fixedly mountedupon a rod 25 which extends through the respective housings and thechannel 7, the construction providing for the simultaneous and similaroperation of the dogs in the movement of the rod. Centrally of the rodwithin the recess 7 I secure to the rod a thumb piece 26, whereby saidrod may be operated at will.

In Figs. 6, 7, and 8 I have shown the preferred form of connector usedin attaching the wire, for the securing of which in place the toolforming the subject matter of this application is adapted to be used.This connector 27 is clearly shown and described in a copendingapplication filed in the United States Patent Oflice November 24, 1908,Serial N 0. 464,223, and no detailed reference to the constructionthereof will be made herein.

In use the improved wrench is applied to the insulator 28 by causing thejaws of the spring clamp to embrace the insulator immediately below thegroove 29 therein, it being understood that the wire 30 is stretchedwardly causing the finger 17 to force the wire as if to encircle theinsulator, forming deep bends in the wire in an obvious manner. As thelever is moved to its final position the dog teeth 24 successivelyengage the teeth 16 of the disks 15 thus holding the lever in a setposition. When the lever has been sufficiently turned to form bends ofthe desired depth the lever is released, being retained in its positionby the dogs, and the connector 27 is applied so that the hooks thereofengage the bend, with the main length of the connector engaging thatportion of the insulator opposite that portion engaged by the wire.Pressure upon the thumb piece 26 operates to disengage the dogs torelease the lever, permitting its ready and convenient detachment andleaving the wire secured to the insulator by the connector 27.

It is, of course, understood that the distance between the arms 14 ofthe lever eX- ceeds the length of the connector so that when the leveris in o erative position the connector may be free y engaged with thelever-formed bends in the wire without the necessity of disconnectingthe lever to permit the engagement.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is

1. An apparatus for shaping line wires about an insulator comprising ablock adapted to removably engage the insulator, and means pivotallyconnected to the block to engage the line wire, said means beingoperative to form a bend in the wire adjacent the insulator.

2. An apparatus for shaping line wires about an insulator comprising ablock adapted to removably engage the insulator, and means pivotallyconnected to the block to engage the line wire, said means beingoperative to simultaneously form bends in the wire on opposing sides ofthe insulator.

3. An apparatus for shaping line wires about an insulator comprising ablock adapted to removably engage the insulator, and means pivotallyconnected to the block to engage the line wire, said meansbeingoperative to simultaneously form similar bends on opposing sides of andspaced from the insulator.

4. An apparatus for shaping line wires about an insulator comprising ablock, means carried by the block to grip the insulator, a lever mountedon the block, means carried by the lever to engage the line Wire, andmeans for locking the lever in desired operative position to form bendsin the line Wire on opposing sides of the insulator.

5. An apparatus for shaping line Wires about an insulator comprising ablock formed with an insulator receiving recess, a clamping springarranged in said'recess, a lever pivotally connected to the block andincluding spaced arms, fingers carried by the arms to engage the Wire onopposing sides of the insulator, and means for locking the lever inposition to cause the arms to form bends in the line Wire.

6. An apparatus for shaping line Wires about an insulator comprising ablock formed with an insulator receiving recess, a clamping springarranged in said recess, a lever pivotally connected to the block andincluding spaced arms, fingers carried by the arms to engage the Wire onopposing sides of the insulator,- means for locking the lever inposition to cause the arms to form bends in the line Wire, and means forreleasing the locking means.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN SEDGWICK PRATT.

Witnesses:

GEORGE F. RANDALL, GEORGE H. BARTHOLOMEW.

